Alton Brown's Go-To Spot To Order Steak In Atlanta

While Food Network star Alton Brown has never owned a restaurant, he definitely knows where good food is to be found. The James Beard and Peabody Award winner has been all over the United States during his career, and wherever he goes, he gets insider recommendations from locals regarding the very best places to eat. While Memphis, Tennessee, is Brown's No. 1 favorite food city in the U.S., he has a list of favorite eateries in another Southern locale, as well: Atlanta, Georgia. But he doesn't need local recommendations in Atlanta, as the celeb chef grew up there and owns a residence in nearby Marietta, where his famed show "Good Eats" was based.

As an Atlanta native, Brown definitely has the inside track on great places to dine within the city. When the TV star is hungry for steak, his favorite spot is a place in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood called Blue Ridge Grill (per Atlanta Eats).

Operating since 1994, Blue Ridge Grill is a local favorite, featuring an upscale dining experience with a blend of new American food offerings. There's much of the traditional fare one expects at a steakhouse, like filet mignon, New York strip steak, short ribs, and bone-in ribeye, and some Southern favorites sneak in on the side dish menu, like collard greens and corn souffle. Other offerings include Chilean sea bass, oysters Rockefeller, Japanese wagyu A5 strip, and ratatouille.

The restaurant's name is a tribute to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the décor reflects a rustic yet elegant vibe reminiscent of an old-fashioned mountain lodge, complete with a huge stone fireplace, repurposed wood from an old cotton mill, and red leather banquette seating — which, incidentally, is one of Alton Brown's favorite features in the establishment.

Though Alton Brown lists Blue Ridge Grill as his favorite steak spot, the restaurant's high-end meat dishes aren't his only go-tos when he visits. The star loves the restaurant's fried pickles so much that he featured the dish on an episode of Food Network's "Best Thing I Ever Ate." The finger food plate is an off-menu item, but that doesn't stop visitors who know from ordering it regularly, including Brown. The dish features prime dill pickle chips battered in sweet cornmeal and flour and then deep-fried and served with an herb buttermilk dressing as the dipping sauce. The acidity, sourness, and saltiness from the pickles cut through the richness of the deep-fried coating, and the sweetness of the cornmeal batter and the coolness of the dipping sauce tie everything together for a harmonious bite — a bite that Brown says he can't stop eating once he starts (per Food Network).

Brown is also a big fan of the martinis at Blue Ridge Grill, which one can enjoy — along with appetizers and desserts — while relaxing in antique wicker seating at the restaurant. Diners can also peruse the restaurant's robust wine list, which features more than 400 old and new world wine varieties.

Blue Ridge Grill is undeniably on the fine dining side of culinary hotspots, complete with a dress code. But Alton Brown isn't always looking to be in a shirt and tie when he eats out. If the culinary celeb is feeling a little less fancy, he likes to hit up In-N-Out Burger, which is his favorite fast food chain. There's even a specific location he frequents — the In-N-Out on Sepulveda Boulevard near LAX in Los Angeles.